What We Want: Born Again!!! | Happy Halloween!!!

As previously discussed (don't look, I deleted it); I was looking to tweak and reboot the blog a little. I've done it! New logo, re-did the dimensions some, added a cbox for easier commenting/requesting, and added a chunk of new uploads.

Below this post you will find:

Dag Nasty "Demo 1985" (w/Shawn Brown)
On A Solid Rock "Where Kids Don't Play" 7inch (Finnish Hardcore)
Everlast "Drown the Self" 7inch (90's Midwest Chuggy Hardcore)
Incite "Demo" (Midwest Hardcore again, but more straight forward)
VA "Rebirth of Hardcore:1999" (In My Eyes, Where Fear & Weapons Meet, Battery, Tons more!)

Enjoy, comment, request, suggest, check the blogs linked on the right, and feel free to just say "Hi" in general.

Also, might I suggest this board if you're upright, not a moron, and like the music on this blog: xSTUCK IN THE PASTx

AND

going to this show if you're in California or surrounding areas, last time live and first chance to grab the new (final) 7inch

Dag Nasty - "Demo 1985"

For most who frequent this blog, Dag Nasty is probably a fairly well known band. But, for those not in the know, it goes... In Washington DC, where the hardcore has always had the DC harDCore sound, 1985 brought the creation of one of the bands who would help define the origins of melodic hardcore & emo-core sounds. Still bringing fury and anger, they doused the sound heavily with melody & vocals that were more sung than screamed.

The members have come from and gone on to a ton of bands; you've heard of most of them or you wouldn't be here; the experience shows as even in very early shows the band was firing at a level above many established bands. The release the band is most known & praised for being their debut "Can I Say" which blended speed with melody in a very precise, melodic execution. Big words, right? Really though, in many regards this is not only a landmark record in punk or hardcore but in guitar driven music in general.

"Can I Say" featured Dave Smalley (DYS, All, Down By Law) on vocals; but there had been a previous singer named Shawn Brown (later of Swiz), who is the person showcased on this demo.

Different songs from the demo have surfaced off and on or been included on Compilations (official & unofficial), but to the best of my knowledge (and searching), the 1985 Demo has not ever been released in its entirety. While I do not like the 1985 Demo as much as Can I Say (or even the Pete Cortner led Wig Out At Denkos), it still is very good and gets played with some regularity. It's nice to hear the early takes and with the original singer.

Enjoy! Sunderman, this one's for you (even if you have these already).

Dag Nasty - Demo 1985 (w/ Shawn Brown)

On A Solid Rock "Where Kids Don't Play" 7inch

Finnish Hardcore from the late 90's/early 2000's. They played a style that blended a lot of different hardcore styles. Never slow, but sometimes a bit of a mid-pace, add in melody and emo to a straight up Hardcore back bone and you have a loose idea of what really can only be understood by listening.

Not revolutionary or groundbreaking, but definitely different & worth a listen. The vocals are an added touch. I'm not sure if part of it is the accent caused by singing in english; but there is also a distinct guttural tone to the singing at times.

I find myself coming back to this little gem over and over through the years from when I first heard them when a good friend sent me an mp3 of the song "Let It Die" way back in the dial-up/pre-everyone having cd burner days. It would still be a year or two before I found a copy of this 7inch in a distro @ a show at the Smell. They also did an LP called "Steal It Back", which I have had no luck finding other than on CD in euro distros. It exists on vinyl, so the CD holds little to no interest other than having the best possible sounding digital versions. So, if any of you out there have the On A Solid Rock LP or find it (even MP3's), let a guy know.

The band ended in 2004 with their singer moving to California to live in a Krsna temple. Last I heard he was still there and still going full tilt.

They have a Myspace & a website; neither are active but still well set-up.

Enjoy!

On A Solid Rock - "Where Kid's Don't Play" 7inch

Everlast "Drown the Self" | Incite - "Demo"

You get a nice two-fer here. One band, some of the patrons here have probably heard of; Everlast; from Illinois and playing that oh-so well known 90's hardcore sound.
The other band, Incite, hailed from Youngstown (and outlying parts), Ohio & while also a 90's band, didn't play chug-chug hardcore.





I became aware of this band through picking up the Cold War comp., which I had gotten for the Within A Lie song (because I loved the track on the Indecision Records comp.). To be honest, the first time I listened the whole comp. was a bit of a letdown; but it had been a dollar bin rescue from Dr. Strange & it held potential.

Some time later, good friend Andy IV turned over some of his records to me so that I could rip them for him. One of those records happened to be this Everlast 7inch. My interest was again sparked for the comp. and through this Everlast record I was able to get into the band more (good job Andy).

Chuggy hardcore like you would expect; pissed off and heavy on the toms and stopping/starting in the right spots. Not a bad record at all. Won't blow any minds, but it's got solid replay value. According to comments on the Coregasm Blog (who also posted this 7inch), a member of Racetraitor & a (brief) member of Disembodied were in this band, so some more Mid-west Hardcore notoriety for those of you who care.

Everlast - "Drown the Self" 7inch

Eons ago, when trolls lived in AOL chatrooms and modems made bleep-bleet noises and your older brothers and sisters would curse when "too many people were on-line" which prevented them from getting on line; in a time between direct dial-in Bulletin Board Systems & the modern Message Board, some people communicated through e-mail groups. A person could email something out through a client/service and it would go to everyone signed up. Likewise, responses to that email would go back through the group. Kinda like the "Reply All" function so used in office email now.

So, in those days when Pregnasauraus ruled the world and Webrings were everywhere (remember that link swapping stuff? haha), I met this kid Zack (I don't remember the email group, but I know the singer from Burden was active on it too). Anyhow, Zack & I hit it off. He was from the midwest, me the west coast. We were both into hardcore and what more did you need at a young age? Seriously.

At the time Zack was in a band called Proof Positive, who had just started up. But, as has often been the case with Zack, he had his hand in many projects at once. One recently deceased project was the band Incite. Incite played something probably best described as 90's hardcore in a vein of doing a little bit of everything in a blend that kinda gives you Snapcase meets Warzone. No, there's no skinhead anthems or tightly tuned snare drums. But there are some things that don't fit with their overall straight forward hardcore sound. Ohio hardcore that wasn't crossing over into rap metal/rock or tough sounding. I know, who knew that existed in the 90's? (ha ha).

Enjoy!

Incite - "Demo Tape"

Rebirth of Hardcore: 1999

One of my personal favorite comps. from the late 90's/tail end of the supposed "youth crew" revival. Good selection of bands with In My Eyes, Battery (live track), Where Fear & Weapons Meet, Atari, Saves the Day, Rain on the Parade, Mainstrike, & more.

People can talk shit, say generic, say whatever- but at least the bands I listed still hold up. Sure, the Good Clean Fun joke got old beyond 2 7inches & some of them ended up being real tools; but otherwise all the bands & tracks on here are at the very least standard fare.

My copy is a 12inch Picture Disc. I scanned the folded layout in 3 sections at a real high resolution (someone else can piece em together if they want). I did that so you can see the full layout and small print. I also snapped pictures of the A Side (CD cover), & the B Side (drawing of Ray Cappo with all the band logos).

Enjoy!


VA - Rebirth of Hardcore:1999